A recent Walmart order left one customer baffled when she received a package of foam blocks in an oversized box stuffed with an unnecessary amount of packaging. Recently, TikTok user cm (@mom.of.2.boyss) shared a 16-second unboxing video revealing the ridiculous amount of air pillows. The video has since racked up over 214,000 views.
With her camera rolling, cm approaches an oversized box sitting on the ground.
“Oh, what did I order? You might ask,” she said playfully.
She opens the flaps to uncover a seemingly endless amount of air pillow packaging, pulling out layer after layer until she finally reveals the item buried underneath: foam blocks.
“Oh, just some foam blocks. You know,” she quips, holding up the order from Walmart. The video ends shortly after the big reveal.
Walmart’s criticism over excessive packaging isn’t new
Walmart has been under scrutiny for years due to the environmental impact of its packaging practices. In response to this criticism, Walmart announced a series of measures to reduce packaging waste.
In June 2023, the company announced new steps to minimize packaging waste, including implementing new technology designed to create custom-fitted packages for customers’ orders. This is expected to reduce unused space in boxes and significantly decrease the dependency on air pillow packaging.
According to Walmart, this approach could cut down the need for filler materials by 60% and decrease waste caused by oversized boxes by as much as 26%. These advancements aim to mitigate scenarios like the one cm encountered.
Commenters discuss the absurdity of excessive packaging
Customers flooded the comment section, criticizing the seemingly counterintuitive packaging decisions for online orders from retailers like Walmart. Others highlighted the significant waste caused by Walmart’s packaging practices.
“Oh, but the $1,200 PC comes in a 1mm-thin cardboard box—if you’re lucky it has some packing peanuts,” one person noted.
“It’s a good thing they put all that bubble wrap in there because you don’t want that foam getting damaged,” another commenter joked.
“I used to work Target fulfillment,” someone shared. “I would definitely do this just to keep entertained. A co-worker shipped vinyl with ZERO packing and placed the label directly on.”
@mom.of.2.boyss I could repack my whole house with this #walmart #christmasshopping #giantbox #wasthisnecessary ♬ original sound – cm
“Why are these businesses not being charged a huge environmental fee? This is [a] ridiculous waste of material,” a comment pointed out.
Cm did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment. We also reached out to Walmart for a statement.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
